User Guide Making EasyBlog Your Perfect Blogging Tool

2

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INSTALLING EASYBLOG 3

1. INSTALL EASYBLOG FROM JOOMLA. 3 2. INSTALL EASYBLOG FROM DIRECTORY. 4

CHAPTER 2: CREATING MENU ITEMS IN JOOMLA 8

CHAPTER 3: INSTALLING MODULES AND PLUGINS 11

MODULES 11 PLUGINS 17 INSTALLING MODULES AND PLUGINS. 21

CHAPTER 4: START BLOGGING 23

CREATE YOUR FIRST BLOG. 23 INSERTING IMAGES TO YOUR BLOG POST. 25 MIGRATE YOUR BLOGS FROM OTHER BLOGGING EXTENSION. 28 CRON JOBS 29

CHAPTER 5: SETTING UP AUTOPOSTING 31

SETTING UP FACEBOOK APPLICATION 32 SETTING UP FACEBOOK AUTOPOSTING 34 POST AS YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE 38 SETTING UP TWITTER APPLICATION 40 SETTING UP TWITTER AUTOPOSTING 43 SETTING UP LINKEDIN APPLICATION 46 SETTING UP LINKEDIN APPLICATION 48

CHAPTER 6: UNINSTALLING EASYBLOG 52

3

Chapter 1: Installing EasyBlog There are 2 methods to install EasyBlog. But first you will need to register as a user. If you already are a user of Stackideas you may login with your username and go to the Downloads page. Below are the 2 methods to install EasyBlog:

1. Install EasyBlog From Joomla.

Step 1. Go to the back end of Joomla. From the navigation menu go to Extensions > Extension Manager.

Step 2. In “Upload Package File” panel, click the “Browse” button. Choose the EasyBlog installer that has the file name “com_easyblog_xxx” and click “Upload & Install”

4

Step 3.

Congratulations, you have successfully installed EasyBlog. Happy Blogging!

2. Install EasyBlog From Directory. If Installing from Joomla is not working for you. No worries, you can still install EasyBlog from directory. However, this might take about 10 minutes to 15 minutes of your time. Step 1. You will need to open the EasyBlog folder; inside the folder you will see the tmp file. Create a folder under the tmp file.

5

Step 2. Place the downloaded EasyBlog installation .zip file into the folder that you just created inside the tmp file. Step 3. Go to the back end of your Joomla, from the navigation menu got to Extensions > Extension Manager. At the “Install from Directory” panel click “Install” and select the EasyBlog installer.

6

Step 4. Do not panic when you see this, one more step and you are done. Step 5. Go back to the EasyBlog folder and open the default_plugin file.

7

Step 6. In the “Upload Package File” click “Browse” select the ‘plg_easyblogusers’. Cilck “Upload & Install” Step 7. Congratulations! You have successfully installed EasyBlog. Happy Blogging!

If you are still unable to install using the 2 methods above, you might want to contact your hosting provider and ask them to set the “upload_max_filesize” to a minimum of 5MB. However, if adding the “upload_max_filesize” still cannot work for you, kindly contact our friendly developers by creating a ticket at our helpdesk.

8

Chapter 2: Creating Menu Items In Joomla You can easily create menu items in your EasyBlog site just by going to the back end of your Joomla.

Step 1. At the back end of Joomla click on Menus > Menu Manager > Add Menu.

9

Step 2. Click the “Select” button from “Menu Item Type”. A box will pop up, scroll down until you find “EasyBlog” select any modules that you want to place in the navigation bar. Here we have chosen “Front Page”.

Step 3. Give a name for your Menu Title, here we named it “Front Page”.

10

Step 4. You have just created a menu item in Joomla.

11

Chapter 3: Installing Modules and Plugins There are plenty of Modules and Plugins available for EasyBlog. You can download them in the Downloads page they are free to use.

Modules There are 23 modules available for EasyBlog. Here is a list of modules available: Archive Module

This module will show a list of archive for the blog posts in EasyBlog.

Biography Module The basic blogger’s information will be displayed here.

12

Calendar Module Displays a calendar in the module, which shows the blog entries that are created in a diary fashion. Categories Module

The module allows you to display the list of categories that you have created.

Recent Bloggers Module

Displays a list of recent bloggers from the site. Popular Blog Post Module for EasyBlog

The module will display the popular blog post that contains the most hits.

13

Recent Comments Module for EasyBlog

Display comments that have been posted recently. Entries List Modules

This will show a list of blog entries in a simple select list.

Tag Cloud Module for EasyBlog

Shows tags from EasyBlog in a tag cloud layout. User Navigation Module

The module shows your avatar and allows easier access to your EasyBlog upon log in.

14

Most Active Blogger Module This module will show you a list of active bloggers. Most Commented Post This will show you a list of blogs that has the most comments.

New Post Module

Shows a “Write New Post” button in the module. Post Map Module

This will show the list of blogs that has a location map.

15

Random Posts Module for EasyBlog

The module will display random blog posts from EasyBlog. Related Posts Module for EasyBlog

Shows a list of blog posts that are related to the post that the user is currently viewing.

Image Wall Module

The module will display random pictures from blogs in EasyBlog. Latest Blogs Module

This module will display the latest blogs that had been posted.

16

Showcase Slider Module

Display the blog entries as a showcase slider. Subscribers Module

Displays a list of subscribers of EasyBlog.

Team Blogs Module

This module will display the teams that you have joined. Most Rated Entries

Display a list of blogs that have the most ratings in your EasyBlog site.

17

Plugins There are 15 Plugins available for EasyBlog. Below are the lists of Plugins: JoomSEF Plugin

If you are using Artio JoomSEF with EasyBlog, you will need to download and install this plugin through Artio JoomSEF’s control panel.

Alpha User Points

Alpha User Points rules files used in EasyBlog. Install the rules file via Alpha User Points backend under plugin installer page.

18

Community Builder Plugin The plugin will display recent blog entries from the user’s profile and allows other users to post comments directly through their profile in Community Builder. JomSocial Blog Plugin

This Plugin will display recent blog entries from the user’s profile and allows other users to post comments directly through their profile in JomSocial.

Article Duplication Plugin

This plugin will automatically duplicate your blog posts into Joomla articles when you publish a new blog post through EasyBlog. Blog Search Plugin

Adds search functionality for EasyBlog’s blog to be searchable through Joomla’s default search component.

19

JomSocial Toolbar Adds new toolbar allowing an integrated blog solution for JomSocial. Comments Search Plugin

This plugin will allow the comments in your EasyBlog’s post to be searchable through Joomla’s default search plugin.

User Plugin

You can control the users in your EasyBlog. Automatically adds and removes the user when your user is added or removed. EasyBlog Smart Search

The plugin allow you to integrate EasyBlog posts with your Joomla smart search feature. Only Joomla2.5.x supported.

20

Pagebreak Plugin Joomla 2.5 Provide page break functionality for EasyBlog for your Joomla site. PhocaPDF Plugin

This plugin allow you to display PDF generated by PhocaPDF.

XMap Plugin Joomla 1.5

This is the XMap extension for EasyBlog. You will need to install the XMap component in order to use this extension.

21

Installing Modules And Plugins. You can download these modules and plugins from our Downloads page. You will need to scroll down and select Filter by EasyBlog, they are free to download. Installing the modules and plugins are easy

Step 1. Go to the back end in your Joomla. From the navigation menu go to Extensions > Extension Manager. Step 2. Click the “Browse” button from the ‘Upload Package File’ panel. Select the module or plugin that you have downloaded and click “Upload & Install”.

22

Step 3. Congratulations! You have successfully installed your modules or plugins.

23

Chapter 4: Start Blogging In this chapter, you will learn to create your first blog. Just follow these simple steps and you will be blogging in minutes.

Create Your First Blog. To create your first blog is simple all you want, is ready here in EasyBlog. You do not need to download any extensions we have made it very easy and simple to use. Step 1. First, you will need to sign in to EasyBlog. Click on the pencil icon to start your blog. The icon is located near the search box, as labeled in ‘a’

24

Step 2. You can start your blog by giving it a title, in ‘a’. After giving your blog a meaningful title, you can start typing in the content of your blog, in ‘b’. TIP: Choose titles that contain main keywords found within your blog post. Step 3. Next, you might want to insert tags to your blog. Your tags can be added at the “Tags” panel.

25

Step 4. When you are done with your blog and ready to publish it, just hit on the “Publish Now” that is the green button at the top left, as labeled in ‘a’.

Inserting Images To Your Blog Post. You can make your blog look more beautiful by inserting images. Here you will learn how to upload images to your media manager and blog. Step 1. Click the ‘Insert Images’ button labeled in ‘a’.

26

Step 2. Click “Open media manager” labeled in ‘a’ it is the button at the top right corner. Step 3. When you are in media manager, click the “Upload” button labeled ‘a’. Select the image that you want to upload. When the image has been uploaded to your media manager, select on the image and click “Insert Image” which is the green button on the top right corner of the page, labeled ‘b’.

27

Step 4. You have just insert and image to your blog post.

28

Migrate Your Blogs From Other Blogging Extension. EasyBlog comes with a built-in migratory tool that you can use to migrate your blogs from other Joomla blog extensions. To migrate your blogs, got to the back end of your Joomla. From the navigation menu click Components > EasyBlog > Migrators. From there choose the blogging tool that you would like to migrate your blogs from. Once you have made the necessary selection, hit the “Run Now” button, wait for it to complete and you are done.

29

Cron Jobs Cron job is basically a time-based job scheduler that runs in the background in UNIX systems. In order for emails to be processed, you will need to create a cron job to trigger the mailer service. Here are some basic steps to get your cron job starting.

Step 1. You will beed to access to your Cpanel first. Once you are logged in to your Cpanel account, click the “Cron jobs” icon. Step 2. When you click on the “Cron jobs” icon, you will be brought to the following screen. You will need to enter the details as shown on the left.

30

You can choose to follow the details as shown in the example or make your own. Basically the settings are broken down into the following:

Minute – Enter the interval for minute. The example above uses “*/5” which means the script is executed every 5 minutes

Hour – Enter the interval for minute. The example above uses “*” which means the script is executed every hour.

Day – Enter the interval for minute. The example above uses “*” which means the script is executed every day.

Month – Enter the interval for minute. The example above uses “*” which means the script is executed every month.

Weekday – Enter the interval for minute. The example above uses “*” which means the script is executed every week.

Command – In the example above, we are running the following command:

/bin/wget -O /dev/null "http://stackideas.com/index.php?option=com_easyblog&task=cron" *You will need to get the correct path to “wget”. Not every hosting has it in /bin/wget

31

Chapter 5: Setting Up Autoposting Autoposting will automatically submit your created blog post into famous social networking providers such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you would like to setup autoposting first timers would need to create an application for the social network of choice.

Step 1. On your main screen of the back end, you should be able to see an icon that says "Auto Posting". You will need to click on that item. Step 2. There are 2 types of configuration that you may choose from here:

Step by step guide (Advisable for new users)

Standard settings (Faster configuration for advanced users)

32

Setting up Facebook Application In order to link most of your items on Facebook, Facebook requires that you setup an application with them first. In this tutorial, we'll guide you through on how you can quickly and easily setup your first Facebook application.

Please take note that you are only allowed to create applications using your profile account. Other account types are not allowed to create applications on Facebook.

Step 1.

First, you'll need to access facebook developers. This is the page where Facebook lists down a list of applications that you have already created with them. On the top right corner, click on the button that says Create New App.

Step 2.

After clicking on the button previously, Facebook would prompt a dialog to request you to give your application a name. You may ignore the other options.

33

Step 3.

Now, you will need to let Facebook know your real domain URL. The URL cannot be a subdomain and it must be your domain's name. Click on the Website at the bottom and enter your site's URL and hit the Save Changes button.

That's about it! Oh, yes some tips would be helpful.

If you are deciding to re-brand your domain name, remember to always update the application with your new site URL.

Make sure that both the URLs you've entered are exactly the same as your site. For example, if your site's URL is:

yoursite.com

Then make sure you do not enter

www.yoursite.com

This actually makes a big difference.

34

Setting up Facebook Autoposting Facebook auto posting allows you to automate postings into Facebook without any manual interactions. In short, everything is automated the minute you save or store your blog post. By default, EasyBlog comes with a step by step guide that helps enable you to setup your Facebook autoposting. In this guide, we'll give you a walk through of each step.

Step 1.

First, you will need to setup your facebook developers application. Once you have created the application, copy and paste the App ID and App Secret respectively. Once you are done, click on the Next Step button.

35

Step 2. Now that you've completed the first step, you will need to sign in with your Facebook account by clicking on the Sign in with Facebook button. On this screen, you'll also be able to configure the behavior of the autoposting. The configurations are broken down into the following:

Posting as facebook page - You will need to enter the page id here. To post into multiple pages, separate each page id with a comma.

Automatically share on new post - By enabling this, every time a new blog post is created, it get's shared on your Facebook account or page.

Automatically share on updates - By enabling this, every time a blog post is updated, it would also get shared on your Facebook account or page.

36

Step 3. This is the final screen of the setting up of your Facebook autoposting. You can totally ignore and move on or continue customizing the options here to suit your site's behavior. On this screen, you'll be able to specify the following options:

Where should excerpt be taken from - You may configure which section of the content you would like to share on Facebook here.

How many characters? - By default, this is set to 350 characters and it should be sufficient enough. You can set it to a larger value if you want more text to appear on Facebook.

Allowing users to setup their own Facebook - By enabling this, your user's can setup their own auto posting as well when they access their profile section.

37

That's it folks! Here's some tips for you.

If you are wondering on how you can change the default icon, this icon is located at your site in /components/com_easyblog/assets/images/default_facebook.png. You may just replace this image with your desired image.

38

Post as your Facebook Page You can choose to post as a Facebook page instead of posting it to your profile. To do so first you must of course have a Facebook page. Step 1. Log into your Facebook and on the sidebar, search for "Pages" and click. Step 2. When you are in your Facebook Timeline page. Right click on the page profile picture and select copy link location.

39

Step 3. Then paste the link in any text editor. Your Page’s or Profile’s ID is the number after the LAST period.

Step 4. Go to your backend > Components > EasyBlog > Autoposting > Facebook > Standard Settings. Here set the field labeled A to YES and paste your page id in the field labeled B.

40

Setting up Twitter Application In order to link most of your blog posts on Twitter, Twitter requires that you setup an application with them first. In this tutorial, we'll guide you through on how you can quickly and easily setup your first Twitter application.

Step 1. You can access the Twitter developers page here. Once you are on this page, login and hover over your username

at the top right and click on the My Applications link. Step 2. Once you are on the My Applications page, click on the Create a new application button.

41

Step 3. Here, you'll need to provide some details to Twitter to ensure that Twitter recognizes your site. The settings can be broken down into the following:

Name - Give your application with a meaningful name.

Description - Give your application some description like what is the application all about.

WebSite - Enter the full URL to your site. (E.g: http://yoursite.com)

Callback URL: - Enter the full URL to your site. (E.g: http://yoursite.com)

Once you have set the above settings, click on the next button and proceed with the next step.

42

Step 4. By default, applications created by Twitter are Read Only. This also means that you will not be able to post data with the application by default. You will need to change the access from Read Only to Read and Write. To do so, click on the Settings tab. Step 5. At the bottom, look for Access and change it to Read and Write. Then, hit the Save button and you are good to go.

That's about it! Oh, yes some tips would be helpful. If you are deciding to re-brand your domain name,

remember to always update the application with your new site URL.

43

Setting up Twitter Autoposting By enabling auto posting for Twitter, it allows blog post to be posted on Twitter without any manual intervention. In short, everything is automated the minute you save or store your blog post. By default, EasyBlog comes with a step by step guide that helps enable you to setup your Twitter auto posting. In this guide, we'll give you a walk through of each steps. Step 1. First, you will need to setup your Twitter application. Once you have created the application, copy the Consumer key and Consumer Secret respectively. Once you are done, click on the Next Step button.

44

Step 2. Now that you've completed the first step, you will need to sign in with your Twitter account by clicking on the Sign in with Twitter button. On this screen, you'll also be able to configure the behavior of the auto posting. The configurations are broken down into the following:

Do you want to enable centralized account for all auto updates - If this option is enabled, blog posts created by anyone on the site will be automatically posted to the account that you have just signed on with.

Do you want to automatically post a new update into Twitter when a new blog post is created and published - By enabling this, every time a new blog post is created, it get's shared on your Twitter account or page.

Would you also like to automatically post updates into Twitter when an existing blog post is updated - By enabling this, every time a blog post is updated, it would also get shared on your Twitter account or page.

45

Step 3. This is the final screen of the setting up of your Twitter autoposting. You can ignore and move on or continue customizing the options here to suit your site's behavior. On this screen, you'll be able to specify the following options:

What should the default Tweet look like - You may customize the tweet that will be posted on Twitter.

I would like to use bit.ly as the URL shortening service - If you want to enable bit.ly URL shortening service, you need to enter your bit.ly login and API key here. This is optional and is not required.

Do you want to allow your users to setup their own Twitter autoposting as well - By enabling this, your user's can setup their own auto posting to their own Twitter account as well when they access their profile section.

46

Setting up LinkedIn Application In order to link most of your blog posts on LinkedIn, LinkedIn requires that you setup an application with them first. In this tutorial, we'll guide you through on how you can quickly and easily setup your first Twitter application. Step 1. First, you will need to set up the LinkedIn developers. If you are not logged in yet, you'll need to sign in first.

47

Step 3. Once you are done, you'll see the application that you have created. Click on the application name. You will need to scroll down and look for the Oauth Keys section and copy the Api Key and Secret Key.

48

Setting up LinkedIn Application By enabling auto posting for LinkedIn, it allows blog post to be posted on LinkedIn without any manual intervention. In short, everything is automated the minute you save or store your blog post. By default, EasyBlog comes with a step by step guide that helps enable you to setup your LinkedIn auto posting. In this guide, we'll give you a walk through of each steps. Step 1. First, you will need to setup your LinkedIn application. Once you have created the application, copy the App ID and App Secret respectively. Once you are done, click on the Next Step button.

49

Step 2. Now that you've completed the first step, you will need to sign in with your LinkedIn account by clicking on the Sign in with LinkedIn button. On this screen, you'll also be able to configure the behavior of the auto posting. The configurations are broken down into the following:

Do you want to enable centralized account for all auto updates - If this option is enabled, blog posts created by anyone on the site will be automatically posted to the account that you have just signed on with.

Do you want to automatically post a new update into LinkedIn when a new blog post is created and published - By enabling this, every time a new blog post is created, it get's shared on your LinkedIn account or page.

Would you also like to automatically post updates into LinkedIn when an existing blog post is updated - By enabling this, every time a blog post is updated, it would also get shared on your LinkedIn account or page.

50

Step 3. This is the final screen of the setting up of your Twitter autoposting. You can ignore and move on or continue customizing the options here to suit your site's behavior. On this screen, you'll be able to specify the following options:

What should the default Status look like - You may customize the status that will be posted on LinkedIn.

Do you want to allow your users to setup their own LinkedIn autoposting as well - By enabling this, your user's can setup their own auto posting to their own LinkedIn account as well when they access their profile section.

51

Chapter 6: Uninstalling EasyBlog If you would like to uninstall EasyBlog you will need to go to the back end of your Joomla. From the navigation menu go to Extensions > Extension Manager click on the “Manage” tab. You need to go through the list and search for “EasyBlog”, labeled ‘a’, select it by ticking the check box on the left and click “Uninstall”, labeled ‘b’.

52

Thank you

For your support. Happy Blogging!

Send us a ticket if you have any difficulties or enquiries on EasyBlog. You may also visit Stackideas.com and go to our Forums or Documentation page for help.

Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter